Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Star Studded Opening: Smith Center For Performing Arts

An extraordinary line-up of performers from across the arts community ushered in a new era of culture as they graced the stage for the opening of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas on March 10th. Led by quintessential host and award-winning actor, Neil Patrick Harris, the evening featured performances by the who?s who of music and Broadway?s brightest stars.

Neil Patrick Hosts the Event

The sold-out show featured incredible pairings of musical talent and rare performances. Broadway superstars Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott, Cheyenne Jackson, Laura Osnes, Benjamin Walker and Montego Glover shared medleys from hit shows including West Side Story, Rent, The Lion King and Guys and Dolls. Country star Martina McBride and Train lead singer Pat Monahan teamed up for a medley featuring ?Marry Me? and ?A Song For You,? while legends Carole King and Mavis Staples performed hit ?You?ve Got a Friend.? Theater-goers were thrilled to see Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard perform ?Pancho and Lefty.? The duo was later joined by Grammy-winner Emmylou Harris to perform ?Ramblin? Fever.? American Ballet Theater?s Marcello Gomes and Luciana Paris performed a dazzling tribute to the late Frank Sinatra. Diva songstress Jennifer Hudson, accompanied by a 70-member choir, closed the evening with a spectacular rendition of ?Take Care of This House.? All artists were backed by a world-class orchestra and Emmy Award-winning Musical Director Rob Mathes.

?Tonight we celebrated more than the opening of The Smith Center,? said Myron Martin, President and CEO of The Smith Center. ?We celebrated this community?s commitment to the arts and to creating something important and lasting for the people who live here and for generations to come.?

More than two decades in the making, The Smith Center?s purpose is to provide residents of Las Vegas an all-encompassing cultural experience featuring the very best in arts programming from around the world. From first-run Broadway touring productions on stage at Reynolds Hall to legendary entertainers at Cabaret Jazz, The Smith Center will provide diverse entertainment on a weekly basis. The Smith Center will also be the centerpiece of arts education in the community. Through affiliations with the John F. Kennedy Center?s Any Given Child program and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, along with creative programming designed for students, The Smith Center will seek to augment and expand arts education for all Southern Nevada students.

The Smith Center opening was produced and directed by George Stevens, Jr., and Michael Stevens, who produce the Kennedy Center Honors each year. The Smith Center opening will be broadcast on national television at a later date.

Tags: Broadway, Downtown Las Vegas, Jennifer Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Categories: Actors, Film, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Music, Show, Television

Source: http://blogs.lasvegasnow.com/entertainment/2012/03/star-studded-opening-smith-center-for-performing-arts/

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